Schedule at a Glance
Tuesday April 2, 2024: Keynote: What Great Teachers Do Differently
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM ET // 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM PT
The summit will open with keynote speaker Todd Whitaker, one of the nation’s leading authorities on staff motivation, teacher leadership, and principal effectiveness. This kick-off session will inspire and equip school professionals with language, skills, and approaches to navigate challenging situations effortlessly and organically to fuel growth as an exceptional teacher.
During this designated time, there will be 30 minutes to meet your homeroom–your core group of colleagues–to frame the summit learning, set intentions, and process the summit experience.
1:40 PM - 3:15 PM ET // 10:40 AM - 12:15 PM PT
Listening to the Impact (choose one session)
Choose between two panel session options, which will each include a student, parent, teacher, and expert, where you will dive into real-world examples of navigating challenges in Jewish day schools. After the panel discussions, meet back with your homeroom to debrief and share learnings.
Panel 1: The Impact of Antisemitism, Anti-Israelism, and Being a Jewish Student After October
This discussion will dive into the impact of the current situation on the mental health and well-being of students, faculty, and the Jewish school community. This session will be facilitated by experts from Natal—Israel’s trauma and resiliency center, specializing in the field of war and terror related trauma, PTSD, and resiliency among civil society.
Panel 2: Body Positivity
This discussion, facilitated by Dr. Oshra Cohen, will focus on the mental health and well-being associated with body positivity and school policies, and will include topics such as dress code, self harm and other coping mechanisms, food as a social opportunity, and inclusion.
Wednesday April 3, 2024: Interactive Workshop Development
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM ET // 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM PT
Collaborate with colleagues to analyze student and teacher profiles, brainstorm, and create a checklist of considerations to help learners thrive by looking at key moments in the life of school members (recess, lunch, siddur party, overnight trips, etc) from the perspective of each person.
1:30 PM - 1:50 PM ET // 10:30 AM - 10:50 AM PT
In the Aftermath: The Impact of the Language and Framing We Use
Join Rabbi Dr. Dovid Fox from Chai Lifeline to introduce language around ethics, guiding principles, and protocols, followed by breakout discussions on how these relate to Judaism and our schools. You will choose from the following breakout sessions to hear from school leaders about navigating these topics.
1:50 PM - 2:30 PM ET // 10:50 AM - 11:40 AM PT
Session Breakouts (choose one session)
- Responding to Suicide in School Communities
- The Loss of a Student, Parent, Alum, or Faculty Member
2:30 PM - 3:00 PM ET // 11:30 AM - 12:00 PM PT
Reunite with your homeroom to unpack, debrief, and share perspectives from all three sessions.
3:30 PM - 4:30 PM ET // 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM PT
Closing Session: Holding Each Other Up in Crisis
The summit will conclude with an inspiring closing session with Dr. Erica Brown, challenging participants to process, engage, and return to school fueled to make change. This motivating session will branch hope and humanity, building resilience through trauma.